Nicest Thing
by Yukina-Raven
Summary: <html><head></head>Once, there were four friends with an unbreakable bond. They grew up. Things are different but also the same. For better or for worse? Dave/Jade, John/Rose</html>
1. Silhouettes

"Okay. Are you ready?"

"Yup."

"Are you sure?"

"Yup."

"Are you _really_ sure? Come on, give it to me straight. Are you really ready, Harley?"

"Oh my god. Just do it already!"

"I'm serious. Are you-"

"Dave."

"What."

"If you ask me that one more time I'm going to hit you."

"Jesus, Harley. Harsh. I'm trying to be a nice guy here."

"Let go already!"

"Yes, ma'am."

Dave stepped backwards, hands leaving her waist. He took a few quick steps back and watched as Jade shakily stood upright. She swayed dangerously and outstretched her arms to try and steady her balance. Once or twice she nearly toppled over the other side of the narrow stone wall she was standing on but miraculously she recovered each time until she was no longer swaying. The balance wasn't perfect and she was still shaking somewhat, bare feet rocking back and forth. She stared determinedly at them, brows furrowed and lower lip sucked between her teeth in concentration. It was the cutest face and Dave was staring at her absently before her voice snapped "Hurry up!" and he jolted back into action.

He backed away even more and the sun's sinking rays cast golden light into his eyes. Even through his shades he squinted a little. He changed angles a few times and there, finally he had it. Pushing his shades up on his head, Dave took the camera swaying around his neck and snapped a picture. He snapped several more in rapid session, changed positions and took even more. He snapped as many as he could from all the angles he could think of before Jade finally succumb and lost her balance. She squeaked and toppled over the other side of the small wall, disappearing in the tall grass.

Although the drop wasn't that far Dave still winced and felt a swell of concern. He pulled his shades back over his eyes and trotted over to her, camera back to dangling precariously around his neck. Peering over the wall her saw her sitting there in a heap, glasses askew and hair disheveled. There were even a few blades of long grass poking out of it. She looked entirely unamused and Dave tried not to laugh.

"Anything bruised, broken or bleeding down there, Harley?"

"Just my butt, but I'll survive."

"Well damn. I can thoroughly inspect it for you and make sure, if you want."

Dave darted sideways as a small rock whizzed past his ear. Jade puffed her cheeks out at him but he noted with no small amount of satisfaction that said cheeks were pink. Well, it could have been because of the heat. Not in Dave's mind though.

"But seriously. Are you okay?"

"I'm fiiiine. I'm tougher than I look, jeez. Did you get your picture?"

"Yeah."

Jade plucked some grass from her hair and rolled her eyes up at him. The wall she had been balancing on was at the top of a small incline and it winded its way around the perimeter. Dave leaned over it on his arms and peered down into the tall, untamed grass patch she had tumbled into. It was a very narrow wall, not at all fit for anyone to stand or sit on. A warm breeze disturbed the blades and they bent submissively in its wake.

"Good, but why here?"

Dave shrugged one shoulder dismissively. "I like taking pictures."

"I knoooow," Jade drawled. "But why this spot? Come on, tell me!"

"Well. I don't know. Photographers take pictures of things they think are cool looking. I was here once at sunset and I liked the way it looked."

Jade scrunched up her face and seemed to be debating on whether or not that was an acceptable answer. Dave shot her a flat look and Jade responded by sticking out her tongue.

"Okay, wise guy. Then why was I in it?"

"Hey, why don't you stop sitting in the grass and come back to civilization over here," Dave replied evasively.

"Never."

"Don't make me come down there."

"Answer my question!"

Dave grimaced inwardly. Outwardly? As chill as ever. Without thinking he replied quickly, "It didn't matter who. It was a silhouette photo. It could've been anyone."

"Oh," Jade replied. She looked crestfallen and Dave mentally kicked himself.

He meant to say something to remedy it, to make up for what he'd just said, but the moment past and she was already climbing to her feet. She brushed more grass from her long, white dress. She made her way up the small incline and Dave outstretched his hand for her to grab. She did so and he helped her over the wall and back to the more tamed side of the field they were currently exploring. Maybe he held her hand a few seconds longer than was necessary, too. She bent to slip her shoes back on and he had to let her hand fall away.

Jade turned her head and smiled softly, admiring the last of the sunset. The colors in the sky had started to fade at last. The oranges and reds had started to bleed into darkness. The moon was a fingernail and already hung above their heads. Stars began to blink to life and somewhere on the outskirts of the field a nightingale started to sing in celebration of the nights arrival. The warm breeze of the day grew cooler and as they slowly strolled back to the gravel path they enjoyed all the sights, smells and sounds around them.

The managed to make it back to the dimly lit part of the walkway before it became too dark to see anything. Jade paused once they did and tilted her head back to stare at the sky. Dave paused beside her and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He watched her instead while she watched the sky.

"Why did you want to take so many pictures today?" She questioned absently.

Dave shrugged. "I was in the mood. Why did you follow me around the whole time?"

Head still tilted back, she turned it slightly and her eyes fell on him. She smiled, mischievous and coy all at once and it irritated him that she had no idea what her smile did to him. "Why not? I've never seen you take your pictures before. You show me all these photo albums and they're really good! But you never tell me anything about them. They're just there."

"They speak for themselves. If you can't tell the story with the picture then you're doing it wrong," Dave grouched. "What do you want me to do, write the life story of whatever's in the image? This is Jade standing on a wall. Afterward she fell on her ass. It was hilarious. The end."

Jade laughed and dropped her head forward, shaking it. "Okay, okay… Are you going back?"

"Probably. Aren't you?"

"Nope!" Jade turned on her heel to face him, smiling. She lifted her hand and waggled her fingers at him in a half-hearted wave.

"Whoa, is Harley ditching me? My whole world as I knew it is crumbling."

"Hehehe. Get lost already, Strider," She teased. "I just have something I wanna do. I'll be back later."

Dave shrugged and watched her back as she retreated back down the path. He thought of following, felt a twinge of worry that she'd be out there in the dark by herself. He squashed it irritably and left in the opposite direction. The path winded back towards the small cottage they were staying in. He entered noisily and was greeted with the quiet glow of the interior lighting. He wandered down the short hall and into the living area. John and Rose lounged on the couch. John sat on one side and Rose was sprawled out, bare feet resting in his lap. She quietly flipped a page in the book she was engrossed in.

"Hey, your back!" John greeted cheerfully.

"Accurate observation," Dave deadpanned as he approached them.

Rose did not acknowledge him so he slowly lifted his camera at her.

"Do it and I will be sure to cause you great discomfort for the duration of our vacation."

Dave snorted but lowered the camera. Rose finally lowered her book and quirked an eyebrow at him. "Where is Jade?"

"Dunno. Said she had shit to do."

John scrunched up his face disapprovingly. "You let her go by herself? It's dark."

"Jade's a big girl. She can handle herself."

John still looked concerned but Dave ignored it. Instead he settled on the single, plushy chair in the corner and began scrolling through all the pictures on his camera. The room was quiet sans the beeps as he scrolled and the occasional page flip from Rose. John seemed content with doing nothing but staring at the wall. He was anxious, though. Dave could tell. It was suffocating the atmosphere. He was probably still concerned about Jade.

"She'll be fine, for fuck's sake," Dave grumbled when he finally couldn't take it.

John shot him a look. "What's wrong with you? You'd never let her wander away by herself like that unless she beat you off with a stick. Did you fight?"

"No. Nothing's wrong."

His gaze darted sharply at Rose. She was watching him, violet eyes peeking up from over the edge of her book. Attention back at John he added, "Go look for her if you're worried."

"I think I might…"

The phone in the kitchen rang. There was a pause and when Dave and Rose made no moves John sighed dramatically. Rose removed her feet so he could stand and he shuffled quickly out of the room to answer it. Rose was still watching Dave and he pointedly ignored her. At least, for awhile. Then he grew annoyed and stared back at her. She was giving him That Look. He hated that look. That look of near pity, sympathy and the slightest hint of concern.

The problem was Jade. The _problem_ with that problem was that she wasn't exactly single anymore. Unavailable, taken, et cetera. Dave had marked every word in his head on all the different ways to say "not mine" and that was really all there was to say on the matter. Because he was too chicken shit to say anything or to figure out his own feelings or maybe all of the above he'd lost his chance. Friendzoned forever, that's him. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Stop."

Rose returned her gaze to her open book. "If you continue to say nothing it will only cause further distress. It would really be in your best interests and health to at least admit it to her. It's really rather ironic, don't you think so?"

"Oh goddammit, Rose. Stop. Stop psychoanalyzing me right now."

"It's much like that movie John forced me to watch. The dashing protagonist falls for the unpopular heroine, a childhood friend, but is far too cool to admit his burning passion."

"What."

"Tragically he misses his opportunity because he was too concerned for his image and all is lost. He finds himself alone, desperate, sad… needy."

"… Okay, this is even worse than that. Rose. Rose, you're the cruelest witch. The coldest bitch that ever existed. Also, you're making this up. There's no movie like that."

"My point is," Rose continued without missing a beat, "is that it's pathetic to watch you flounder around like a headless fish-"

"Wow. Thanks for that."

"-and as your older sister I decree that you must at least tell her the truth."

Dave scoffed. "Bullshit you're older."

Rose lowered her book and fixed him with what Dave called her "Shanking Stare". He was never intimidated by it. (Okay, maybe a little.) "That is not the point here, David."

"Oh, fuck you. Don't call me that and no, I'm not talking about this right now. So shut up."

Dave stood and stormed out angrily. Rose did not protest nor try to stop him. He knew how she operated and he knew she had won the argument because she had lodged what she had said into his brain. She'd put it there, made sure he had heard it even against his will and thus had no choice but to acknowledge it was there, and that's how she won arguments like that. Now it was on his mind and he was angry. Livid. Pissed. He put his camera away and then paced his designated bedroom furiously. He resisted the urge to punch the wall and toss the chair. He didn't want to be thinking about this. Not now, not here. It was on his mind enough. He didn't need this now too.

He couldn't tell Jade. He wasn't exactly the same selfish thirteen year old he had once been. What would telling Jade now accomplish? Nothing. Nothing but hurting and confusing her. She was happy with… that guy. That guy whom Dave refused to ever acknowledge by name. She was happy. Let her be happy. He had no right to take that from her.

Dave faceplanted on his bed and did not move.

He must've fallen asleep because suddenly he was jolted awake by the loud rattling of thunder and the brightest flash of lightning. He blinked, shades falling off as he picked up his head. They had been knocked askew when he'd flopped on the bed. It was dark in his room but he could see light coming from underneath his door. What time was it? He rolled off the bed, leaving his shades and stared blearily out the window. A fierce summer storm. There would surely be damage out in the fields.

Dave's mind screeched to a halt. Jade. Had she come back?

He bolted off the bed, forgot his shades entirely, and hurriedly threw open his door. His forehead collided with John's and they both howled in pain at the contact.

"Jesus fuck, Egbert! What are you doing, hanging outside my bedroom door like a creeper?"

John winced and rubbed the welt on his forehead. He scowled. "No! Dude, I was just about to wake you up. We still don't know where Jade is!"

Dave's stomach knotted. "Shit. She still isn't back? Didn't you go look for her?"

"I did but I never found her. I thought she'd just wander back on her own, but if she's outside in that storm…"

"Both of you, calm down," Rose called and she appeared in the hall behind John. "I'm sure Jade was smart enough to find shelter if she was caught in this. She survived by herself on her island for her entire life, yes?"

"That doesn't mean shit," Dave snapped and bolted past the both of them.

"Whoa, hey!" John protested. He whirled around and Rose stepped aside as Dave went barreling past. "You can't go out there either!"

"What do you want me to do, sit here on my ass and twiddle my thumbs? I'm a man of action."

"And a man of quick-temper and idiocy," Rose deadpanned.

"Shut up, I'm going."

He was halfway to the door when it slammed open and made all three of them jump. Speak of the devil, there was Jade. Soaked to the bone and haggard but nevertheless standing in the doorway unharmed.

"Jade!" John cried in relief. "Oh man, we were so worried!"

Dave stared until Rose whacked him on the back of the head. There was an awkward pause as both Dave and John realized simultaneously that Jade's summer dress was soaked through and since it was unfortunately white… well. A few minutes later both of them were sitting in the living room with their heads bowed like scolded dogs.

"You were totally ogling my sister," John grumbled over the sound of rain and thunder.

"Shut up."

He had most certainly not been-Okay, yes. Maybe just a little. Dave could not be blamed for it, though. He'd known Jade since they were thirteen and since then all four of them had grown up. Jade more so though perhaps that was only because Dave had paid the most attention to her changes. She'd grown up, the lanky and somewhat clumsy figure of a child fleshed out with curves. More defined hips, a flatter stomach, breasts and so forth donned her like it did for every young woman. Dave couldn't remember why, when or even how he'd noticed it but he did one day and after that there had been no turning back. Ever.

Soft footsteps made them both look up and Jade and Rose shuffled back into the room. Jade was now more appropriately dressed in a fluffy white bathrobe. Her wet hair braided, resting over her shoulder in the front. She was missing her glasses. John sprung to his feet.

"Jade! Are you okay?"

Jade smiled cheerfully. "Yup, of course! I was on my way back when the storm hit. So I was fine! I just got wet from the downpour."

"Phew! You had us really worried. Where'd you run off to anyway?" John asked.

The three of them sat down on the couch while Dave remained isolated on his chair.

Jade giggled. "It's a secret."

With that excitement put behind them the four sat in the living room awhile longer, talking idly and laughing at each other's quips. In the end, no matter how much older they got, some things would never change. Their bonds were strong, forever. After what they had all gone through it would take no less than another world shattering phenomena to break the string tying them together. Eventually they grew sleepy, tried of talking, and retired. Dave did not and stayed perched in his chair staring out the window at the rain pelting the glass. He fetched his camera again, scrolled through it with disinterest, but went right back to watching the storm rumbling outside.

Time passed and Dave could count every second. It was something he had inherited from before, he supposed. Time was always something he was aware of. Without even thinking about it he could count every second that passed with all the precision of a clock. It was not a skill he particularly enjoyed having. In some instances his awareness could make time stop or slow down. Yet at the same time it made him aware of when the time would end. Nothing was timeless to Dave. Everything started and everything would stop. Today he counted five hours, forty-five minutes and seventy-eight seconds in which he and Jade wandered around the landscape snapping photos. Even longer was the time he counted in which Jade's time belonged to That Guy. It outweighed the time with him and that's all he really got out of it.

Right now time passed in one hour, two minutes and forty-nine seconds before Dave heard someone shuffling back into the living room. It was Jade, still dressed in her fuzzy bathrobe. She yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"Still awake?" She asked.

Dave inclined his head at her, unhidden eyes staring at the way she looked ready to fall asleep where she stood. "Naw, I'm asleep. This is a dream. It's all in your mind."

Jade giggled and wandered over to him. She stood idly beside the armrest, bouncing her feet. Dave stared up at her waiting for her to sit. When she didn't he scowled. "What? Am I in your seat?"

"Nooooo," Jade drawled and then pointed at the camera in his lap. "Let me see."

"No way."

"I was in half of them! I have a right to see!"

Dave snorted and waved his hand at her. "Nope. You can't see until the final production is complete. That's the rule. You break the rules, you have to pay the penalty fine. Five million bucks. True facts."

Jade lunged during Dave's small tangent and although he scrambled in surprise, she successfully wrestled the camera away and plopped happily down onto the couch. Dave dragged himself from the chair and sank down next to her.

"Not cool, Harley. Pouncing on me when I'm tired and vulnerable like a turtle on its back. It's just downright mean."

"Oh, stop," Jade said. She began to scroll through the pictures one by one, examining them curiously. Dave felt a weird pang of self-consciousness. He'd shown Jade his photos before but this was different. The photos he took today meant something to him and on that thought he wondered when he turned into such a sentimental asshole.

He watched the screen's light flicker in her eyes. Watched the way her face changed when she saw a photo she liked or didn't like. She laughed at the ones he'd snapped of Rose for they usually involved her look of irritation. She didn't like her picture taken thus it was Dave's duty to snap as many as possible of her when she wasn't aware. The rain fell harder, the thunder cracked louder, but everything felt still and quiet in their space. When she'd scrolled through every single one and surrounded the camera back to him.

"I'm glad you took all these pictures," she said softly. "They're really good."

"Of course they are," was his default reply. Then he hesitated and added, "But you're welcome, I guess."

"I want them. Make them into a book for me, like you do with the other ones."

Dave inclined his head at her. They were sitting close, side by side, and he could see the details in her face. She looked sad and it was not an expression he thought looked flattering are her normally cheerful face. Something nagged at him then, something telling him there was a reason she'd gotten back up, that she was asking for the photos. Something…

"Okay."

Jade smiled at his response and gave a mighty yawn. "Thanks. Okay… I guess I am going back to bed. I'm so tired. I don't know why I'm still up."

"Wait." Dave had no idea why he stopped her as she began to rise. She stared at him quizzically. Shit. He didn't actually think of a reason to keep her here. He had just wanted her to stay, greedy for her time that belonged to someone else.

"Nevermind," He finished lamely.

Jade smiled and left. Dave remained, sat on the couch alone, and returned to counting seconds.


	2. Rain

It was still raining in the morning, the steady pitter-patter of water against his window rousing Dave just before noon. A few seconds later someone was banging on his door.

"Wake up, you bum!" Jade's voice filtered through the wood.

If it was anyone else he would've told them to shove off. Instead he dragged himself upright and blinked blearily at the wall. Jade knocked again.

"Okay, okay…" He grumbled and forced himself out of bed. He rubbed sleep from his eyes as he pulled on his pants over his boxers. He patted down his hair to try and make it semi-presentable, didn't bother with a shirt or his shades, and pulled open the door after he was done yawning.

Jade smiled at him, dressed casually but clearly with no plans to go anywhere.

"What?" He asked when she didn't say anything.

"Nothing, I was just getting your lazy butt out of bed. It's almost noon!"

"Okay. Am I suppose to care?"

Jade rolled her eyes and turned away, sauntering back down the hallway into the living room. He heard John's voice greet her right before he shut the door. He had half a mind to just go back to bed. It was raining out, after all. Nothing much to do. Instead he sat on the edge of the bed and stared blankly out the window as he tried to wake up.

Since they had gotten here a week ago it had rained quite a bit. It was pretty lame. Rose had gone through a lot of trouble to set this vacation up for the four of them. Strangely Dave was happy to get away from the large city in which they had all come to reside in. The peaceful countryside they were staying in now was isolated, away from all the other people the world had to offer. Not that there weren't other people in the small town this cabin connected to but at least there were less of them. At least Dave didn't have to interact with them.

Out of all four of them it was Dave who had had the most trouble adjusting to life after the game had ended. The sudden transition from unbridled action to mundane normalcy was a difficult one for someone who had always lived a less than ordinary life. The result was that he closed himself off from everyone around him. He became strangely introverted sans the cool kid facade he always had going. As it turned out, no one really liked insufferable pricks and insufferable pricks didn't like others. So he was outcasted by most of society. For all his talk Dave just could not get along with other people. Dave was fine with this arrangement. He didn't need anyone else but John, Rose and Jade to keep him company. He made a life all on his own. He had a job and a place to live. He made it just fine without depending on strangers. It wasn't like he was a complete shut in or anything. He just didn't really have any friends.

The problem was that John, Rose and Jade had adapted to a more social lifestyle. They had other friends, other lives, other outings… and although Dave didn't want any of that he didn't want to be left behind, either. He wanted the best of both worlds but, as reality was quick to remind him, that's not the way life worked.

Dave begrudgingly got dressed. He was awake now. There was no way he'd fall back asleep. As he shuffled out the door the phone rang.

"Jade, that's for you!" John said from the living room.

_Oh, really,_ Dave mused and moved with all his catlike grace into the kitchen. The phone was so old it was somewhat of a surprise it even worked. Dave answered it with an uninterested, "Sup."

There was a moment of silence before a male voice replied, "I'd like to speak to Jade, please."

Dave paused. He'd met him enough times by now to recognize his voice. Jade stepped into the kitchen suddenly and Dave promptly hung up the phone.

"Hey!" Jade protested. "John said that was for me!"

"John lied. It was a wrong number," Dave replied with a small shrug.

"Oh. I wonder why he would say that…"

The two returned to where John and Rose were in the living room. The scene looked almost exactly how Dave had found them last night except Rose had her laptop on her stomach instead of her nose buried in a book. John was peeking over at her with a serious expression on his face. Jade plopped down beside him.

"Jesus, are we still doing this?" Dave demanded, exasperated. "It's been four years since we lost contact with the trolls. Come on."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean they're gone," Rose countered. Her eyes did not stray from the screen, the sound of her typing nearly drowning out the sound of the rain.

"It's worth looking for them," John agreed. "I mean, you never know."

"They were living on a hunk of rock in outer space. There is no way they survived there for four years. They're dead."

John looked hurt by Dave's harsh words. "Maybe, but I wanna know for sure one way or the other. Don't you miss them?"

To that Dave had no reply. Living on Earth was hard enough for him without dealing with the problems of aliens. He sank down on the lone chair and watched the three of them on the couch. It was a fruitless search but as long as John wanted to try, Dave would help. All four of them often took time to look for information or even try to message them via Pesterchum. It had been four years without a response.

"We'll find something, John. I'm sure of it," Jade reassured him. John smiled weakly and nodded.

Because of the rain, their search for the trolls became the focus of the day. Jade fetched her laptop and aided Rose in the search. There wasn't much to be done that they hadn't tried already but Dave knew it helped John to just talk about it because out of all of them he had been the most upset when contact with the trolls had been lost. Eventually the rain cleared and Dave couldn't have been more grateful. He felt stir-crazy all of a sudden and escape was necessary. Only if Jade went with him, though.

"More pictures?" She asked hopefully.

"Sure. Whatever you want. Let's just leave and not come back until later."

Jade cocked her head at him. "That is a weirdly specific request. Okay."

If she wasn't in the cabin then she couldn't answer the phone. Right? Right. It wasn't like he was meddling or anything uncool like that.

_Just keep telling yourself that,_ his subconscious drawled.

* * *

><p>The rain brought cooler weather with it. A nice breeze laid itself across the countryside and dissipated a lot of the oppressive heat. Rose was very thankful as she was no fan of the humidity. Lounging in the shade in her purple summer dress she felt much more comfortable outside now that the rain had done its work. The wind rustled the leaves above her and created moving shadows across her sprawled out figure. Droplets dripped steadily from some of the leaves but the high afternoon sun had dried off a lot of the landscape. Even so, Rose made sure to sit on a towel and now the muddy ground. She stared up through the leaves and drank in the beams of light that poked through them. Then a heavy weight half fell, half leapt onto the grass beside her. Rose sat up slightly and propped herself up against the tree trunk, lowering her book to turn her attention to John. He looked a little damp.<p>

"I almost got to the top but then I felt bad because there was a nest," John said as he plucked some wet leaves out of his hair. "The mother wasn't very happy."

Rose smiled. "Are you and Dave still having that childish competition?"

"Hey, it isn't childish. This is serious business. I'm going to beat his record and climb the highest. You watch."

"Only if it provides me with entertainment. I have my fingers crossed that I will witness the bird dive-bomb you both."

"Well, I'd be okay with that if it'd make you laugh."

Rose arched an eyebrow at him. "I try to keep such boisterous displays at a minimum."

"I _know_!" John said in an exasperated tone but grinned. "It's just, I like when you laugh."

Rose turned her head away quickly with a small huff and hid her face behind her book. She could feel the smile on her lips and her cheeks grow hot, which was embarrassing. But it was okay so long as he couldn't tell. John chuckled and leaned back on his hands. There was silence for a while.

Then John broke it by asking, "It's pretty lucky we were even able to come here, isn't it?"

"Quite," Rose replied without looking up from her book. "Given that the self righteous men in suites are still orally sparring over long tables about my mother's wealth, it is nothing short of a miracle I was able to arrange this."

John frowned, brows furrowing in annoyance. "Oh, man. Still?"

"Yes. It is never ending."

"Man, I don't get it. It's your inheritance. Why do they think they can take it from you?"

"Because my mother did not leave a will and so there is no specification for who gets it. They also claim my age of seventeen is a problem but I'm sure that's just more fine print that doesn't actually exist." Rose lowered her book and watched John look up into the leaves thoughtfully. He was always so much more troubled by this than her and she found it sort of endearing. To Rose it made no difference whether she got all her mother's money or not. She knew she would make a life either way. To her the only thing that money meant was whether or not she had to start from scratch.

"My situation is not as dire as… well."

John frowned and now he looked upset. Rose felt guilty immediately. "I apologize."

He sighed. "No, it's okay… I'm just frustrated. I keep trying to think of a way to fix it but I just can't. Jade didn't even want to tell me in the first place. I only found out because of that letter she got."

Rose set her book across her flat stomach and folded her arms over it thoughtfully. "It isn't something easily fixed. Dave still doesn't know, does he?"

"Nope. Technically I'm the only one who does as far as Jade knows. You only know because you overheard it. Jade made me promise not to tell Dave or you."

"I know."

John sighed and flopped sideways, sprawling on the grass on his back beside her. Rose peered down at him as he stared heavenward. He really did look upset and frustrated now. She shouldn't have brought it up.

John continued irritably, "I keep telling her, 'Tell Dave! You've gotta tell Dave. He's going to be _so mad_ if he finds out you kept it from him.' But Jade says that's why she doesn't want him to know. She says it's _because_ he'll get mad and then probably do something stupid. Because he's Dave Strider and Dave Strider is a certified dumbass."

"I believe he claims to be a 'man of action', if I recall."

"He is the exact opposite of that thing you just said."

"Indeed. I believe Elliot is also making things more complicated than they need to be."

"Tell me about it. Once they were in the same room together and I thought for sure Dave was going to start a fight. It was very stressful!"

"I know."

"It's okay. I think I have a plan," John said triumphantly.

"Oh?"

"Yup."

The two lapsed into silence again and Rose couldn't help but think that the world had been so much better without rules. Back when it had just been the four of them in the game, working together to reach the end. They had gone to hell and back, gone through so much pain, only to end up being just more lost faces in the crowd.

"If the trolls really are gone…" John started but trailed off.

Rose, who had been staring absently into the leaves in thought, turned her attention back to him. "Yes?"

John turned his head to her and grinned. "Do you think that means we still have to get married?"

Rose stared blankly at him for a moment. Then she threw her book at his face and laughed.

* * *

><p>True to his goal, Dave kept them both out and busy until sunset. When night had fallen and they were making the walk back, Jade stopped.<p>

"Okay, I'm going. I'll meet you back later!"

"Are you ditching me again?"

"Hehehe, no! Well, yes. But not because you're not fun to be with. I just have something I wanna do!"

"You're building a mystery here, Jade. I'm itching to know what kind of secret cult you're sneaking off to. It's starting to eat at my mind."

Jade rolled her eyes and stepped off the path, waving at him as she backed away toward an incline. "It's a secret but I promise it isn't a cult where we sacrifice chickens."

"That is the weirdest thing you have ever said and that's a pretty big fucking accomplishment."

Jade laughed and paused, smiling warmly at him. There was something about the look on her face that was distinctly off. It was something Dave had notice the other night and, come to think of it, something he'd noticed even before this trip had happened. That nagging sensation returned from before, telling him there was something really wrong here.

But then the moment passed and the look on her face faded. She called cheerfully, "Don't follow me! And I better get to see those pictures when I get back!"

She turned on her heel and took off down the hill with another cheerful laugh. Dave watched her go and thought long and hard about following her. This was the second night in a row she'd disappeared at sunset. No big deal but he wasn't being ironic when he had said he was getting a little curious about where she kept going. Plus now he was a little concerned too. He hesitated to turn back but after a few minutes standing in semi-darkness he did so. He checked the sky a few times but the stars were out and the moon was nearly full. She shouldn't be caught in anymore storms this time.

When he returned no one else was home. He crashed on the couch and began scrolling through the pictures he'd taken deleted a lot of the ones Jade had taken only because a) she was a terrible photographer and b) she took a lot of photos of him.

The phone rang.

Dave had begun to really hate that sound and jegus, why hadn't Jade just brought her damn cell phone? He let it ring, waiting for the person on the other end to give up already. Ten minutes later it was still ringing. Dave yanked it from the receiver and hung it back up. Two minutes later it rang again.

Fuck it. He tore the phone out of the wall and set it on the counter. After a brief pause he took it off the counter and hid it.

Definitely not meddling.

The fifth night in a row Jade wandered off by herself just after sunset, Dave was less curious and more inflicted with a burning need to figure this out. Every time he asked Jade wouldn't say and Rose told him to mind his own business, but didn't know either. John admitted to also being curious but said Jade wouldn't tell him either. If Dave were being honest with himself he would admit this wasn't about Jade sneaking off every night. Rather, it was about her strange bouts of sadness that seemed to cross her face when she thought no one was paying attention. Her expression would become forlorn and her shoulders would slump. Then it would pass the moment she was addressed and she would smile again like everything was fine.

But it wasn't fine and Dave didn't like her being alone if something was up. He also decided the only likely culprit was That Guy. And the only person who knew That Guy besides Jade was John.

So Dave took a gravel path from their cabin down to a daycare that belonged to the town. John was there in the playground, sitting in a swing that was ridiculously small for the taller boy. Dave was bitter that John had grown up to be taller than him.

"Egbert, you look like a pedophile creeping on children," Dave said as he approached.

"What? Shut up, I do not. The daycare isn't even in use today. It's a Saturday," John replied and dramatically rolled his eyes. "What do you want?"

"I want to know about that guy."

John's eyebrows furrowed. "That guy?"

"Yes. Him."

It took John a few seconds and then he rolled his eyes. "His name is Elliot."

"Don't care. Just tell me if he has anything to do with it."

John rocked back and forth on the swing, his feet still touching the hollowed out hole in the sand right below. "Anything to do with what?"

"Jesus, haven't you noticed? Jade hasn't really been herself."

John stopped. Something crossed his face that only fueled Dave's suspicion. Then he stood up from the swing and shoved his hand into his pocket.

"Wait, that reminds me!" He produced a folded piece of paper and held it out for him. "Here! It's important."

Dave took the proffered paper and unfolded it. His eyes scanned the writing. It appeared to be an invitation for some kind of dance. "Okay, Egbert, I'll be your date for the prom. But you're wearing the dress."

"All my dreams have finally come true," John deadpanned. "Why don't you actually read it, smartass?"

Dave did so, reluctantly. It was actually a festival, not a dance, and had something to do with summer and traditional town bullshit. In short, it was not something that held any of Dave's interest and he couldn't fathom why John was excitedly showing it to him.

"So?"

"So? Jade really wants to go. Why don't you take her?"

Oh. Dave gave John a leveled stare from behind his shades. He was grinning triumphantly as if this was the most obvious and brilliant plan in the world. And, really, it kind of was. Dave decided he must be sinking to pretty pathetic levels if he needed John to set up dates for him. At the same time he was also appreciative. He wanted to spend as much time with Jade as he could here, alone and away from all the distractions of their life in the big city. Now he had the chance to take her on a date except not really a date because she wasn't datable. But he could pretend, which was also really pathetic.

He had completely forgotten his initial reason for finding John as he thought about this. But perhaps he didn't think this was entirely a good idea. There was already so much tension in him simply being around her lately. At the same time, he would hate himself forever if he let this chance slip by.

Dave pocketed the paper. "Okay, so I have to admit, this is pretty suave of you."

John swung an arm around Dave's shoulders and grinned. "I am your wing man, Dave. It's me."

"Well, shit. I guess I have to turn in my official cool kid club card now because that's just sad," Dave quipped, but he was smiling.

Good John. Best friend.


	3. Secrets

Dave and John spent the rest of the afternoon goofing off around the town. Boys would be boys no matter what the age. After some rough housing at a river they found and wandering across the fields, the two trotted back to the cabin smeared with mud and probably in need of showers. Rose greeted them as they banged noisily through the door.

"I don't recall rooming with two pigs," Rose commented. She moved forward and blocked any attempts to escape. "Shoes off."

"We aren't _that_ bad" John protested with a roll of his eyes. He obeyed, tugging off his shoes and socks.

Dave didn't and met Rose's gaze with an even stare. Rose returned it and there was something about her gaze that made him nervous. Fuck. He hated that Rose could intimidate him. She was so damn good at it. Then John barreled into Dave's legs trying to balance on one foot and nearly knocked him over. Dave stumbled and shoved John over, forcing him to the ground.

"Jesus fuck, Egbert. Sit your ass down and do that."

"Ack! Gross, you pushed me right into all the mud you just stomped off."

Dave suppressed a laugh which wasn't too hard with Rose staring him down like that. Annoyed, he rounded on her. "What?"

"Why, precisely, did you put our phone in a drawer?" she demanded.

"He did what?" John asked from the floor.

Dave tensed slightly, squaring his shoulders back. "Because it kept ringing and it was pissing me off."

"You broke it," Rose countered. "I needed to use it for my research and now I can't. I had to walk into town and pay to use one."

"Boo hoo."

Rose's gaze hardened. "I also do not approve nor appreciate your meddling in the relationship of my friend. I'm aware you have issues with the matter but playing the role of a jealous ex is not the way you should handle it."

"Fuck you, that wasn't it," Dave snapped defensively.

"What wasn't it?"

Three heads craned up to see Jade approaching them. They had all gathered quite conspicuously by the door so it was only a matter of time before they drew her attention. She was wearing a long nightgown with her long hair tied back in a braid. It hung over one shoulder but she brushed it back as she walked over to them.

"I found out why our phone is broken," Rose replied curtly.

"Oh. Did Dave do it?"

"Wow, automatically blamed."

Jade giggled, smothering it behind her hand. Dave rolled his eyes behind his shades. "No, I wasn't doing that. It's just that Rose suspected it was you."

"Okay look," Dave cut in, "before I continue to get accused of being a bigger asshole than I already am let me set it straight. The asshole who kept calling was Jade's boyfriend."

Jade stopped laughing and looked surprised. "What?"

"I'm aware. John told me," Rose said dryly. "That's why I-"

"Shut up. I ditched the phone because I know Jade didn't want him contacting her here."

There's was an awkward pause. John hopped to his feet and shuffled over to Rose, who looked confused. She glanced between Dave and Jade before her gaze settled on Jade. She quirked an eyebrow at her. "Is the true?"

"What's up, Jade?" John asked more neutrally.

Jade looked quite stunned, staring with wide eyes at Dave. She dropped her gaze to her feet after a few seconds and a deep frown tugged at her lips. "Well, um... It is, actually. But Dave, I never told you that."

"I heard you talking about it on the trip over. On your cell with one of your friends." One of several Jade had made outside the four of them. Dave got along with precisely none of them though to be fair he didn't get along with anyone else John or Rose were friends with either.

Jade furrowed her brow in thought and a slow look of realization crossed her face. "Oh! On the bus... I thought you were asleep." Suddenly her cheeks turned faintly red and she fixed him with a gaze that made Rose's look much less scary. "How much of that conversation did you hear?"

Dave took a subtle step backwards. "Enough."

"Dave!"

"Fuck, I was sitting right next to you. What do you expect?"

"You were suppose to be sleeping!"

"Well... I wasn't."

"Agh! I can't believe you!"

"Wait, back up," John interrupted. "You didn't want Elliot to contact you?"

"This isn't anyone's business!" Jade snapped. She threw up her hands and whirled away in a huff, storming into the living room. The trio listened to her stomp up the stairs and into her room.

"I'll add stalking to your list of ex boyfriend behaviors."

"Lalonde, I swear to fucking god..."

John sighed and rubbed his temples. He slipped away from the two arguing siblings and followed Jade's path up the stairs. He felt a little guilty trailing some dried mud across the floor from the cuffs of his pants as he moved down the fall. The girls had rooms on the second floor while the guys slept in the rooms downstairs. Jade had left her door open but she was sprawled face down on the bed. Hesitantly John knocked on the partially open door.

"That better not be you, Dave," Jade said, voice muffled in her arms.

John cleared his throat and in his best impression of Dave replied, "No Miss Harley I am totally lame and not cool enough."

There was a pause before Jade's quiet laughter broke the silence and John grinned. She rolled over and propped herself up to stare at him. She was smiling though she still looked troubled. John entered without waiting for permission and plopped himself down on the edge of the bed.

"You didn't sound anything like him," Jade snickered.

"Yeah, I know. I'm not very good at impersonating uncool douchebags. I'll keep trying."

Jade stifled another laugh. John smiled, decided he liked it better when she laughed, but then tentatively asked, "What's going on? I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to but... I guess I'm just a little worried."

Jade hesitated and John could almost see the war she was having in her head. Then she let out a long sigh. "I told Elliot that I didn't want him to contact me on this trip. I told him I just wanted this trip to be between the four of us and no one else. He said that was really selfish of me and... I don't know, maybe it is. But he was really mad about it... Really jealous. I told him to just deal with it. Actually, we... have been having problems lately. So I really wanted to be away from him."

"Oh man, I'm so sorry to hear that."

Jade was his best friend and sister so of course John truly meant that. However a small part of him was shamefully glad. Dave was also his best friend and seeing the rift Elliot's existence had caused between the two of them was hard for him to watch. He just wanted them _both_ to be happy. Rose had told him in her Rose-like way that happiness was generally never the same for two people. John had told her to stop being so depressing.

Jade shrugged. "It's okay. It's complicated. Um... I don't think I really want to explain what happened beyond that."

"That's fine," John replied with an understanding nod. "Just don't be too hard on Dave, okay? I know he's an idiot but I think he was really just trying to help you."

"Hmph... I know but it's none of his business. He shouldn't meddle like that."

"I think that's just how he shows affection. Kind of like a cat."

Jade giggled again. "A cat?"

"Yeah! They're... you know, catty."

"John, that was terrible."

"But it's true! Except Dave isn't actually catty he just... does stupid things he thinks are meaningful but everyone else gives him weird looks for it. Like leaving dead things on your front porch."

"Oh my god, _John_..."

"He means well but-what?"

Jade bit her lip but she couldn't hold in her laughter, breaking into a fit that sent her flopping back onto the bed again. She decided that perhaps he had been spending way too much time around Rose. Though on second thought perhaps Jade needed to make a request from her to properly teach John how to psychoanalyze instead. As it turned out, for all her skills in that area, Rose had been less successful than John in helping out her sibling. So unsuccessful that Dave had just retreated to his room and locked the door.

"Please stop acting like a ten year old," Rose called through the door, exasperated.

"Nope."

Rose rubbed her forehead. "You're really going to just sulk in there for the rest of the night, then?"

"Yup."

"And no amount of coercion will convince you otherwise?"

"You got it."

Rose tapped her finger to her chin. She turned on her heel and paused halfway toward the living room. Silently, she counted to herself, five… four... three... two...

The door abruptly swung open. "Don't you fucking dare."

Rose quirked a smile and turned back around to face him. "That's what I thought."

Dave stomped past her and darted into the living room, Rose casually following. She watched as he began gathering the photographs and scrapbook he had left laying about, muttering profanities under his breath. She sighed and leaned against the doorframe, watching him half amused but still mostly frustrated by his refusal to talk.

"There's nothing to talk about and I can't believe you had the thought to ruin all this hard work for your own twisted game. You're sick, Rose. Sick and twisted."

"At least I'm not ten."

"Fuck off. I just said there's nothing to say. What do you want me to say?"

"Then let me do the talking."

Dave said nothing but he didn't protest either. So Rose continued, "You have two choices. Kick your feet and mope or be honest. At this point, unfortunately for you, I'm making the choice for you. I'm tired of seeing the former so I'm forcing you to do the latter."

Dave snorted. "This should be good."

"Spill the truth to Jade or I'm going to make you live in the woods for the rest of the trip."

Dave stared at her. Rose stared back. There was a long pause in which Rose knew the gears in Dave's head were turning frantically to try and decipher if she was serious or not. Or course she wasn't but if Dave's poker face was perfect Rose's was even better. The trick was to make him believe it some way or another. Considering this cabin belonged to Rose and this vacation was mostly Rose's treat, she very well could get him kicked out. The silence was broken by John who took this moment to wander in.

"Hey, I-oh. Uhhh."

"Think about it carefully," Rose said and then she was gone, retreating up the stairs.

John blinked and Dave finished gathering his stuff. Fuck. Okay, he knew she was bluffing. She had to be. There was no way John or Jade would let her banish him to the wilderness. ... Well, there was no way John would. Right now Jade would probably leave Dave stranded in a desert. The point was that he would die if Rose did that because like hell he knew how to survive outside human civilization. Tucking the book under his arm, Dave stepped up to John with a serious frown.

"You're going to take Rose to that weird festival thing, right?"

"Huh?" John sputtered, caught off guard. He blushed faintly and scratched the back of his neck. "Well... I thought about it, but I don't-"

"Do it."

"Do you really think I should?"

"Sure. She totally digs you."

Partially a lie. Dave really had no idea. What he did know was John was the only person who really succeeded in getting her to loosen up. He also knew she was less guarded around John than she was around himself or even Jade.

"Okay, I will," John finally decided, beaming.

"Then do me a favor."

"What?"

"Keep her busy."

Dave shuffled out, leaving John to puzzle over what exactly that meant. As Dave returned to his room to dispose of his stuff and then retreated to the bathroom for a shower, he decided that if Rose wanted to play that game he would play it too.

The next day saw a change of pace in Jade's nightly disappearances. Instead of it happening at night it happened during the day. Although Jade had told her friends she was heading off she had also not told them where nor had she invited any of them to follow. So, naturally, Dave followed. Ignoring the fact that Jade was still unhappy with him as well as the fact that he was proving Rose right by adding "stalker" to her list, he went anyway. If there was one thing Bro had taught him well it was how to sneak around unheard and unseen. And hell, Dave was still really curious about this. And maybe a little worried given her reoccurring sadness he'd observed during their trip. Unfortunately for Dave he lost her at some point and, not really up for a scavenger hunt, he retreated to the river he and John had goofed off in the other day. It was overflowing and muddy from all the rain they had been having. Judging by the horizon it looked like more rain might be sneaking up on them soon.

Left with little else to do, Dave made the journey back to the cabin to fetch his camera. Then he made the trek back to the river. Although the surrounding wilderness to the town was large fields of tall grass, a small river wound through the hills. Following it as he and John had done the other day had lead them to a little wooded area that seemed to stretch further than any of the fields. Neither of them had ventured much into the woods for fear of getting lost but the river was in a relatively safe spot. Plus it was summer so the thick green of the trees were buzzing with life. In short it was a great opportunity for photographs of nature which Dave admittedly enjoyed taking. He'd never admit it if he was asked.

Snapping pictures of the trees, a few feathery assholes and the way the sunlight reflected off the water, Dave heard something splashing noisily upstream. Different from the sloshing he was doing wading in the shallower part of the river, it sounded like a larger animal. Dave just hoped it wasn't a bear as he followed the river up the slope. It turned out to be a bit steeper than he thought it would be. When he finally made it over the incline he found a much larger pool of water that broke the river in half. Unfortunately Dave was not paying much attention to the water. The sound he thought had been an animal turned out to be Jade. Jade, who sure wasn't wearing any clothes, and standing turned just slightly so that Dave didn't see everything but he got an eyeful either way.

Dave discovered right then what his training had been for all those years: it was for making hasty getaways. When Jade felt him there and whirled around, eyes widening when she saw him, Dave sprang into action and got the fuck out of there. Sort of. He took refuge behind a large tree that was just near by. And just in time too, it seemed, for the tree was instantly pelted with rocks. Big rocks from the sounds of the impact.

"Dave!" Jade screeched and he could hear her moving in the water, presumably closing in on his location to kill him. "What the fuck do you think you're doing? Were you _spying_ on me?"

"Holy fuck, Harley, come on. You're killing a poor innocent tree here," Dave protested, wincing as a large stone slammed into the bark near his shoulder. He jumped and edged away, wishing he could somehow acquire the power to meld with the tree itself. Also for some reason his face felt very hot.

"That's not the only think I'm about to kill!"

"Shit. Okay look, calm down. I know this looks really bad but I swear to whatever higher being is sitting fat and happy in the clouds that it isn't what it actually looks like." Except for the fact that he had originally set out to spy on her, but that had been to see where she was wandering off to, not get a peep show. He wasn't that much of a creep.

The barrage of rocks finally stopped but Dave didn't dare move. When she didn't answer he hurriedly continued, "I was downstream taking pictures of rocks and shit. I heard you and thought you were a deer. I was gonna snap a sweet picture. Maybe add some dead guys around the hooves. Call it Bambi's Revenge: This Time It's Fucking Personal."

"Promise?"

Dave started and turned his head, looking up. Jade was standing near him on the other side of the tree, peeking out. He could tell she was dressed in her bathing suit now. Although this wasn't any better for his libido it did at least make him less likely to get murdered if he saw her in it.

"Christ. How lowly do you think I am? That you think I would sneak around snapping pictures of nude girls like some fat pimply pervert who lives in his mom's basement hurts me. It hurts my feelings."

Jade quirked a smile at him. She held out her hand. "Camera."

Dave grumbled but removed it from around his neck and handed it over. Jade shuffled away and Dave sprang to his feet, following after her as she scrolled through the pictures.

"Hey, you deleted the ones I took!"

"They sucked."

Jade made a face at him and sat down on the shore. Dave plopped down beside her and smiled faintly, watching her face as she intently scrolled through the pictures. They sat in silence for awhile and Dave was weirdly content with that. Normally silence made him uncomfortable. It was the reason he always had to talk or have music blaring. The silence in this moment, though, felt right. Yet after a few minutes Dave broke it anyway.

"You're not going to find anything," he chuckled.

"I'm just making sure. I don't know what you're up to anymore with the stunt you pulled last night."

Ouch. Dave felt that irritating thing called guilt sneak up on him again. "Oh, come on. You're not still mad about that, are you?"

Jade huffed and shoved the camera back into his hands. "A little, but it's okay. Just don't do stuff like that."

"I wasn't actually trying to eavesdrop, you know."

Jade drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. She rested her chin on one knee and stared at the water wistfully. "I know."

There was a pause before Dave broke it with an awkward, "Well. Sorry, in any case."

Jade turned to look at him and Dave willed himself not to get flustered. "For doing that shit. And for today."

"Oh... Hehehehe."

She turned away and stifled a laugh and Dave felt his ears burn from embarrassment. No, fuck. He hated feeling like such a goddamn idiot even though he knew he was one anyway. At least when it came to her and he scowled at her poor attempts to not laugh at him.

"I guess you found out my secret," she said.

"Your... oh, shit. This is where you've been going?"

Jade nodded. "I really like to swim, actually. I use to swim in the ocean all the time back... home."

The way she said that was almost bitter. She lowered her gaze and Dave saw that familiar forlorn expression on her face. It was the one that he'd seen a lot during this trip. That expression that was really bothering him. He thought maybe he should ask. Now was a good a time as any and he really had been wanting to talk about this.

Instead what came out of his mouth was, "Did you skinny dip there, too?"

Jade flushed and punched him in the shoulder. "Fuckass!"

Dave didn't even bat an eye. "Hey, I need sufficient fuel for my Harley sex fantasies. Just tell me yes or no and my imagination will take it from there."

"Dave!" Jade laughed and shoved him. She was plenty strong though not quite strong enough to knock him over. He pretended to fall anyway, flopping gracelessly on the sand.

"Is this a bad time to ask if you want to chill at that festival this town of hippies is throwing?"

Jade perked up instantly at that, back straightening and eyes widening. "Really? You'd go to that?"

Dave bent his arms behind his head and remained sprawled on his back where he had fallen. The sun had disappeared behind a particularly dark looking cloud. "Sure. There can't be a party without a proper Strider style crashing."

"Okay," Jade replied with a wide smile. "I would really like to go but John and Rose didn't seem interested and I didn't want to go by myself."

"Cool, then let's do it."

"Thanks, Dave."

Dave shrugged and gave no outward hint of the joy of his success. Even if technically it was John's success because it had been his idea for Dave to go with her. He closed his eyes behind his shades. He hated that tight sensation in his chest that happened every time he thought of her. It was some kind of weird combination of happiness and pain. These were the types of emotions Dave had spent most of his life learning how to suppress. For the most part he succeeded but not when it came to Jade. It had been like that since the were younger.

"Hey, Jade."

"Hm?"

"I know you're going to roll your eyes at me and that I've done a really shitty job proving it to you, but… you can tell me shit. You know that, right?"

There was silence. Dave sat up and looked at her. Her head was bowed, long hair hiding her face. When she didn't move Dave slowly lifted her camera and flashed a picture. She started and looked up at him, surprised. Then she scrunched up her nose. Dave chuckled and lowered the camera.

"Right?" he repeated. This was important to him for some weird reason. Actually, no. Not some weird reason. A very good reason. The more he saw Jade looking kind of forlorn and sad the more he felt like she was keeping something from him. From John and Rose, too. She shouldn't do that because they were her friends. He was here to try and fix her problems if he could. He couldn't do that unless she told him.

"I know," Jade replied and she smiled warmly. It looked genuine enough, but… "You better delete that picture."

"Nah."

Dave slipped off his shades and hooked them on the front of his shirt. Jade poked her tongue out at him and Dave was tempted to do it right back but refrained, mentally shaking himself. How lame would that be? A rumble of thunder shook the sky and both of them glanced up. Jade quickly scrambled to her feet. Dave watched her hastily fetch a shirt and towel from behind a small rock. She slipped the shirt over her head, sadly hiding her bathing suit underneath it. Rain was starting to fall so Dave climbed to his feet as well. He tucked his camera into his shirt, hoping it would make it until they got inside. Together they ran back towards the cabin. Half way there it started to pour so they hightailed it as fast as they could downy he winding paths. They made it but were thoroughly soaked anyway. Jade was laughing and Dave was not amused as they stomped onto the porch and underneath the safety of the overhang.

"Figures Lalonde makes a vacation for us and it rains most of the time," he complained, shaking water from his hair like a dog.

Jade had her towel but it was soaked too. She giggled and wrung out her hair, still panting from the run. She was beaming though. This time Dave decided she really did look genuinely happy.

"Is your camera okay?" she inquired, shuffled over to him.

Dave glanced it over and shrugged. "Looks it."

She smiled and stared out at the rain. Dave watched her instead of the rain.

"Dave… about what you said before…"

"What about it?"

Jade took a deep breath. She turned and started a little, peering up at him. Dave had shuffled a little closer to her than was probably appropriate without even realizing it. Her cheeks turned a little red but she didn't move away.

"It's… not good news. I didn't want to say anything but it isn't fair for me not to. So I-"

The front door swung open. Another boy was standing there. A boy that should definitely not be here. His dark eyes widened at the two of them. "Jade?"

Jade hastily put distance between herself and Dave but she did not approach the boy. She somewhat recoiled back, looking very unpleased. Dave even more so.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me," he growled.

It was Elliot


	4. unraveled

Dave felt betrayed. Okay, so betrayed wasn't the right word for this feeling but whatever, same difference. He didn't know what else to call this awful sensation in his stomach that felt like misery and bitterness. He remained rooted on the porch, hands stuffed in his pockets and watching the rain water run off the overhang in a mini-waterfall. It was really coming down out there but Dave wasn't really paying attention to the rain. His thoughts were on Jade and Elliot, currently inside the cabin in the living room. If he looked he could see them through the window, but he refused. He refused to go inside as well so long as they were in there. He appeared to not be the only one.

Sitting on the porch swing to the far right sat John and Rose. The moment Elliot had burst through the door John had been right behind him. He'd apologized, said the guy had shown up without warning, and had hoped Rose had warned them both before they returned to the cabin. A moment later Rose had appeared soaking wet and unamused. Now all three of them were sitting banished on the porch but all for different reasons. John to give them privacy, Rose because she was dripping water everywhere and Dave because he had never felt so angry and frustrated in his life, and that was saying something. John was tucking a towel around Rose's shoulders when she finally broke the silence.

"It was inevitable, I'm afraid, with the way he's been calling her."

John withdrew his hands from her shoulders and flopped back against the swing, making it rock lightly with the weight. "I'm kind of annoyed at him either way. Jade told me that Dave overheard right. She was trying to get a break from him and here he comes, invading her private time."

"I'm afraid I don't know him well enough to judge if this is appropriate behavior or not. Does he usually desire to take up Jade's time like this?" Rose asked.

Dave twitched inwardly. The way she emphasized the word 'time' made him want to whirl around and lob his shades at her. Scratch that, she wasn't worth hurting the shades. Maybe he could just punch her in the nose. She was his sister and not just any girl so that was totally kosher, right?

Oblivious, John continued, "I dunno. To be honest I don't know him that well myself. He comes over to our house to pick up Jade and that's about it. He never wants to hang around and he barely ever says anything to me. Maybe he's shy."

"That fucker is anything but shy," Dave grumbled.

John shrugged one shoulder. "Then maybe he just doesn't like me."

"If that's true then we can be certain he has a very poor judge of character," Rose said stiffly.

John laughed lightly and blushed. "Yeah, but he also doesn't like Dave."

"Well, that's different."

Dave rubbed his temples. This was stressful enough right now without having to listen to Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dee back there theorizing about that dumb shit. Without a word or even a sound he slipped out from underneath the porch and was gone. John called out to him belatedly but the rain was roaring and the sound didn't reach him. He wouldn't have turned around even if it had. John sighed and leaned back again.

"Man, this fucked everything up. Dave's really grumpy again."

Rose watched the rain with a neutral expression but her gaze was sympathetic. Despite her prodding and teasing, she was generally concerned for Dave. Jade as well. Neither of them were happy at the moment and she knew why. There was also still the hurdle that Dave didn't know Jade's situation yet. The longer that secret was kept the worse the fallout would be when he found out. Even Rose wasn't sure she wanted to be in the same country as Dave when that happened.

"That, too, was inevitable," Rose replied.

They lapsed into silence again, the sound of the rain filling the gaps. After a moment John spoke again in a rush, "Well, we should go to! To keep an eye on them and make sure they'll be okay."

"Go?" Rose echoed.

"Oh, uh…" John scratched the back of his neck. "To that festival or whatever this town is doing for the tourists. You saw all those flyers around, right?"

"Ah… that. Yes, of course. You want to attend?"

"It could be fun, right? We should all go together. It's the day after tomorrow."

Rose quirked a small smile and tugged the towel closer to herself. John, always the optimist. She couldn't see them having a good time at the moment given what was going on yet he still could. Somehow it made her want to see that possibility too.

"Okay. I suppose someone needs to babysit them. Assuming it still happens, however. All this rain might cancel it."

John grinned. "Hehe… yeah." He looked very pleased. Abruptly Rose sneezed as she felt a chill run over her. It was suddenly really cold out here.

"Oh! You should probably not be out here when you're all wet," John realized. He stood up and took the towel off her shoulders. "Wet hair is the worst, right?"

"What? John, wait-"

Too late. He dropped the towel over her head and rubbed furiously though not hard enough to hurt. Rose flailed and swatted at his arms. She had seen this coming just a little too late. John laughed and pulled the towel back quickly. Her hair was now a tangled, fluffy mess and looked absolutely ridiculous. It only made John laugh more and Rose shot him the most unamused. Yet she found herself smiling. Despite the unpleasantness currently on her mind, he still managed to force a smile out of her.

Dave did not return by nightfall and Jade left with Elliot, who was staying in the local motel. She offered no explanation except that they needed to talk and she didn't want to do it here. The slight panic in her eyes worried John but he decided not to pry. Rose, on the other hand, was more preoccupied with her missing sibling. When 1 AM rolled around with no word from him, Rose was dreading that she would have to march out and look for him again. John had passed out on the couch, unable to stay awake anymore. For some reason Rose grew preoccupied watching him sleep. When the door opened abruptly she started and stood up. She assumed it was Jade returning but instead Dave stumbled in.

"Finally. I was ready to start searching for your corpse."

Dave scowled. "You'd like that wouldn't you. Flighty broad."

Rose blinked. She narrowed her eyes, peering through the dim lighting to study his face. He looked rather disheveled and his shades were missing. Then she noticed the smell.

"Are you drunk?"

"No. … Yes."

Just like that Rose went from relief to annoyance. She had actually been a bit worried about him, too. Asshole. "Why am I not surprised you have a fake I.D.? You're a complete ignoramus."

"Fuck off. I don't got anythin' like that. The people here jus' don't give a flippin' shit how old you is." There was a sudden southern drawl in Dave's voice, though only slightly and only present when he said certain words. Since he was always careful about that accent, Rose concluded he was more than just a little trashed.

"-and all they want is my hard earned dough. Greedy bastards with sticky fingers and alcohol that tastes like shit. I kept goin' anyway I don't even know why..."

At this rate Dave was going to keep rambling. Rose sighed and took his arm, leading him back to his room. He stumbled after her and the effort it took to remain upright and walk straight finally shut off the speech centers in his brain. Temporarily, at least. When Rose got him to his door they started up again and he asked the worst possible question.

"Where's Jade?"

Rose hesitated, still gripping his arm to keep him from falling over. He was swaying dangerously. Dave stared at her, eyes unfocused but intense.

"She went with Elliot back to where he was staying. She hasn't returned."

Rose expected Dave to flip off several handles at her admittance. Instead he just stared at her as if he couldn't even comprehend what she was saying. This was probably for the best and Rose hoped that he forgot this entirely. If that were true, then, perhaps she could get something else off her chest. Perhaps it was sleep depravation that made her decide to throw caution to the wind.

"I'm afraid it's only the first thread in a long string of bad news," she said quietly.

Dave shuffled back into his room a little and clutched the doorknob for purchase. He laughed bitterly. "Fuck you."

"The trolls are dead."

Dave slammed the door


	5. an ending

The next morning saw more rain, but gentler than yesterday afternoon's. It pelted softly against the window of Dave's room where he sat on the bed, knees bent up right and arms folded over them. He had his face hidden in his elbow, too sensitive to the light to look up at the moment. He'd been up since 5 AM being completely sick and hungover. Rose stood against his closed door, arms crossed over her chest and head bowed slightly.

"You have to tell John," Dave said, voice hoarse and weary. "You can't keep that from him. Not that."

"I know," she replied quietly.

The truth was that Rose had actually uncovered the fate of the trolls about three days ago. The shock was a bit to take in for her but she had been keeping the secret because she knew how upset John would be. Dave and Jade too, for that matter. Given all that was happening right now she wasn't sure how to add more to plate. Yet keeping it from them made her feel guilty. It also weighed on her mind more than she thought it would. Despite not knowing the trolls for that long, there was still a sense of comradeship and attachment formed between the two species. Even more so when the trolls had assisted in the successful reset of their session. The plan had been to erase Sburb's existence with it. The troll version of it too. That way perhaps things would look up for them both.

While the plan had succeeded on Earth, Alternia had not been as lucky. Somehow the change in time and space that occurred to restart everything tore their universe to bits. Not all at once but over a short period of time it crumbled and destroyed all life in it. Or so was the explanation Karkat gave in the letter Rose had found in the bowels of the internet. He hadn't explained much in detail but just enough, in his own unique way, to give her an idea. He had said there was really no reason for it but that it had happened this way and so be it. The letter had been a little strange in all honesty but then again Rose hadn't ever really known Karkat that well. She had been disappointed that his was the only farewell message she had discovered.

"I'll tell him tomorrow."

"At the festival? Go figure. Gotta make the first date as dark and awkward as fuck, don't you."

Rose's cheeks turned slightly red and she lifted her head to glare at him. "We're going there to keep an eye on you and Jade. We're both more than a little concerned about you."

"Uh-huh." Dave winced a little at the pounding in his head. God, somebody just shoot him. Why did he think drinking would ever be a good idea? He had never, ever been able to hold alcohol well. "Is she back?"

"No, not yet."

He grimaced. So she spent the night with Elliot after all. He didn't have the energy to be upset by it. Not that he should be but he was anyway.

"What time is it?" he asked after a pause.

Rose arched an eyebrow at him. Dave didn't see it but the silence made him grumble, "Shut up, it's eight in the morning. I know."

"Try and get some sleep."

"Try not to sulk and be gloomy too much. It just makes John worry about you."

Rose seemed offended, replying stiffly, "I've been fine thus far, haven't I?" She was good at keeping secrets and concealing things, after all. "Worry about yourself right now."

"John's my bro I gotta look after him, man. You wouldn't understand, being a chick."

"It's hard to take you seriously with your face hidden like that. Then again, I suppose it's hard to ever take you seriously."

"Fuck off I'm about to blow chunks."

Rose sighed and opened the door as Dave sprung off the bed and darted off toward the bathroom. She left his room and retreated to her own. She was exhausted herself. The day was spent sleeping for both of the Derse siblings. They remained largely oblivious to the happenings of the day, including John heading out to fetch Jade and the two siblings exploring the wilderness together. They returned in the evening and sat on the porch swing together in silence.

"I broke up with Elliot."

John glanced up, eyebrows arching in surprise. "What, really? Last night?"

"Yes… but it was so late and I was tired so he let me stay, but…" Jade trailed off and bowed her head a little, looking troubled. "I have to tell Dave, right?"

"Uh.. if you want, I guess. I'm sure he'd be glad. He never really liked the guy."

Jade laughed quietly. "Not that."

"Oh."

John hesitated on his next words. He really had wanted Jade to tell Dave the truth about her situation but now he wasn't so sure. Dave would be glad to know Elliot was out of the picture. Now something could maybe finally happen between those two. Hopefully. John knew they both wanted to be together without either of them ever telling him. It was way obvious. Jade's situation, though…

"Yeah, you should," he finally relented. "He's going to be really mad you kept it from him, though."

"I know. I feel bad that I did. The more I think about it the more I realize it wasn't fair. I mean, I was going to tell him yesterday but then Elliot showed up and I never got the chance…" Jade sighed heavily and leaned back against the swing, rocking it back and forth lightly with her foot. "Not that that's an excuse…"

John yawned suddenly, rubbing his eyes underneath his glasses. Jade smiled softly and patted his shoulder. She pushed him forward slightly, earning a look from him. "Are you worn out?"

"Hehe… yeah, a little. I can't keep up with you when it comes to outdoor adventures."

Jade grinned. "No one can, you know!"

He waved her off and stood up. "Yeah, yeah…" He paused heading toward the door. He glanced over his shoulder at her, expression oddly serious. "Just tell him, okay? He might overreact or something dumb like that but… he should know."

Jade bit her lip and then nodded once. "Okay."

The summer festival was a town tradition. Apparently it was the reason people even came to visit this remote place at all. It was a big deal. The town had been setting up for it over the course of the several days and finally the day for it arrived. It started mid-afternoon and lasted well into the night. The rain clouds all seemed to have fled in the face of such a cheerful mood that washed over the town. The town itself seemed to be transformed with colorful decorations and flowers to celebrate the good times of summer. Supposedly the thing lasted for three days. Despite the heavy mood that had settled over the quartet, they attended it as they had planned. They went during the evening just as the sun was setting and night was creeping across the sky.

Jade was cheerful which made Dave grumpier. Not that he wasn't glad to see Jade a little more perky than she had been during this whole trip but her mood was probably because she had made up with her boyfriend. Even so, everyone and everything was in such a cheerful mood that even Dave's dark rain clouds couldn't resist it for very long. He enjoyed time spent with his friends and so he enjoyed this. The four of them wandered the festival which was less old fashion and more a mix of a modern carnival and some town traditions. They even had a maypole for some reason and even Jade's puppy dog eyes couldn't force Dave to dance with the multicolored ribbons hanging from it. She got John and Rose to, though. Dave had no problem being an observer, watching her laugh and twirl and collide with people.

Eventually they split up after John's subtle nudging and winking at Dave to do so. He'd done a good job keeping Rose distracted from cornering him and asking if he'd made any confessions to Jade. Dave appreciated it because any time Rose's focus wasn't on him was the best time. So they parted because Jade wanted to see a flower display they had set up. As Dave and Jade sauntered off in that direction, Rose realized it was now or never to bite the bullet and give up a confession of her own. He was the only one who didn't know about the trolls now. (After Jade had returned she had told her.)

"John. There's something I wish to speak to you about."

John cocked his head toward her, somewhat distracted by a food stand nearby. "Oh? Okay. Hold on, let's get something over there first."

Rose smiled slightly and nodded. After John acquired some of the fried dough they were selling, they retreated up a small hill on the outskirts of the festival. It overlooked it and Rose found it a very nostalgic looking view. They settled under the tree there.

"I discovered the whereabouts of the trolls," Rose said after a moment of silence.

John perked up immediately. "Really? Did you talk to them? Where are they? Back on their planet, right?"

"Well, they… they were, but…" Rose was discovering that telling John this was a lot harder than telling Jade and Dave. She wasn't sure why. "They didn't make it. I'm sorry, John. I found a letter from Karkat. I have it for you to read, if you would like."

John's face immediately fell, eyes widening from shock. He looked away, lowering his gaze to his feet. Slowly he put down the plate of the half eaten dough and for a few awful seconds, didn't say anything. Rose quietly took the folded up paper from the small purse she was carrying over her shoulder.

"I must apologize to you," she continued softly. "I discovered this a few days ago but had been hesitant to inform everyone. You were the last one to be told because I… well, I'm not sure. I suppose I knew you would take it the hardest."

John held out his hand to her and Rose placed the letter in his palm. He curled his fingers around it and stared at it for the longest time. Then he folded his arms over his bent up knees and looked away, letter in his hand but unread.

"To be honest… I think I kind of knew. It was kind of weird that they never contacted us again after everything happened. We knew they could since they did it once before. I started thinking, 'What if something happened to them?' and that made me upset so I stopped thinking it. I started making up excuses in my head that they were just busy or something. But a part of me knew better. I guess… I was right."

Rose bowed her head slightly, saddened by this but slightly relieved that John had at least been somewhat prepared for the news. Abruptly he slumped sideways and rested his head on her shoulder, causing her to stiffen in surprise. After a few moments she slowly relaxed.

"Thanks, Rose."

"Thanks?"

"Yeah. For doing all that work and finding out for sure. I appreciate it."

Rose moved her hand and hesitantly laid it over his. "You're welcome."

"Can we just stay here like this? I don't think I really feel like going back."

"I would like that as I am inclined to agree."

John smiled.

The flower display was about as exciting as Dave expected it to be. Brightly colored floral life, oh boy. What a thrill. They weren't even swaying in a breeze. They were just there for people to stare at. People like Jade who was enamored with them regardless. She spent several minutes talking to the owner about what flowers they were, how they were grown, how they had been cut and other details about gardening that could not interest Dave less. So Dave took pictures of them instead and of her standing among them, unaware. Well, she remained unaware until he went right up to her face and flashed the camera. Jade yelped and made a face, shoving him away and rubbing one eye.

"Dave, ow! Jeez!"

"Are we done yet?"

Jade dropped her hands to her hips and rolled her eyes. "Fiiiiine. Where did you want to go instead?"

"I dunno. Not here."

Jade shrugged and turned to the shop owner with a smile. "Thanks for talking with me!"

The elderly lady standing beside the display smiled kindly. "Of course. Enjoy the festival, love birds!"

Jade blushed lightly and Dave retained his ever infamous poker face. When they finally left, they headed in no particular direction. They walked in awkward silence.

"So," Dave started to break it. He didn't actually have anything to say, though, so the word was left hanging in the air without anything attached to it.

After a moment, Jade laughed sheepishly. "I guess we do kind of look like a couple, don't we?"

Dave tensed a little at the implication. "Better watch what you're saying, Harley. Your creepy boyfriend might be watching us from the bushes. He seems like the type."

"Oh, um… well… he doesn't really have a say in anything like that anymore. I broke up with him."

Dave stopped walking. "What. Are you serious?"

Jade stopped too a few steps ahead of him. She turned slightly to look at him and smiled faintly. She looked sad again. "Uh-huh. It's over. It's, um… for the best."

Well, shit. Now Dave wasn't sure what to do. Confess to her, right? He was suppose to do it anyway either way but now suddenly there was way more riding on it. Now this could possible be a thing or something, right? He should've been really happy about this but somehow he felt worried. He couldn't place his finger on why.

"Dave?"

Dave blinked. "Huh?"

"Where are your shades?"

Oh. Dave glanced away, suddenly self-conscious. He'd been trying to ignore the fact that he was walking around without them. "I dunno. Around." Dave assumed he had left them at the bar last night. "Where are your glasses?"

Jade smiled, blushing faintly. "I left them at the cabin. I'm wearing contacts this time. I look better without them, don't I?"

Dave made some noncommittal noise in reply. It wasn't the first time that she had done that but it was weird to see her without them. Mostly because Dave liked her in glasses way better. She looked cuter with them on. Jade was still smiling but there was still something so sad about it. "We're all really different now, huh? We all grew up."

"We're not that different," Dave replied somewhat defensively.

He didn't want things to be different. He didn't want them to all change or drift apart. He'd been resisting integrating with the new world around them so hard and that was the reason. The Knight of Time, trapped in one moment in time. It wasn't that he ever wanted to go back to Sburb and all the misfortune it brought them. What he missed was the summers when he was thirteen and he would stay up all night talking to Jade, John and Rose in a group chat. They would laugh and snark at each other, show each other funny links and general be kids. What he missed was the carefree, lighthearted bond between them all. Now they weren't kids and things were not the same at all. Not after Sburb and not after growing up. Somehow Dave was afraid that they would change too much; change to the point where there was a permeant divide between them.

Jade's giggle broke his thoughts. "I guess we aren't. We are in some ways but not the bad way, right?"

Dave quirked a small smile. "Yeah, sure." He wasn't so sure, to be honest, but it was fine for now. There was a pause. Jade looked like she wanted to say something. This was a pretty perfect moment for him to tell her something of his own, too. Instead he spoke just as Jade opened her mouth, "Let's go to the bar."

Whatever Jade was going to say was forgotten and she blinked. "The bar?"

"Pretty sure I left my shades there."

"Huh?"

Dave was already heading in that direction and Jade scurried after him. They left the commotion at the fair and entered the bar. It was bustling with activity. Dave retrieved his shades from the bar tender and pocketed them, satisfied. Not that he had been worried someone would steal his shitty Ben Stiller shades but it was still a relief to have them back. He then took a seat at the bar stool. Honestly, he was done with that festival. Jade sat next to him curiously. He bet she had never been in a bar before.

"Can I help you?" the bartender drawled, glancing between the two of them.

"Two of your strongest," Dave said.

The man nodded and shuffled away. Jade leaned back on the stool, staring at him with wide eyes of disbelief. "Dave! You can't order alcohol!"

"Just did," Dave replied with a small shrug. "They don't care here. Look, see? He didn't even ask for an I.D. We're fine."

"Ugh!" Jade flopped her arms across the bar counter and stared at him incredulously. "You're impossible."

"What, never had a drink before? Weaksauce, Jade. I'm disappointed in you. I bet I could drink you under the table in two minutes."

Jade bristled at that. "Is that a challenge?"

Dave snorted. "No. A challenge actually needs to be challenging."

The bartender returned and gave them each a glass. Without missing a beat, Jade scooped it up and downed it in one gulp. Dave stared at her as she nearly choked. Eyes watering, she didn't bat an eye otherwise and slammed her palm against the table.

"Another!" she demanded at the equally flabbergasted bartender.

"Holy shit. I can hear your liver screaming in agony from here. Calm your tits, Jade. I was just messing with you."

Jade stabbed his chest with her index finger, leaning over so far that she nearly toppled from her seat. He held her by the shoulders. Yep. As he suspected, she was a lightweight. Extremely so, it seemed. She glared at him aggressively, the fire of competition in her eyes. Dave felt like he had just gravely underestimated her competitive streak.

"You said 'I could drink you under the table in two minutes.' and I say challenge fucking accepted. Now drink, asshole. C'mon!"

Honestly, Dave would rather stare at the way she was leaning forward which provided a very nice view right down her shirt. Jade was suddenly downing _his_ glass.

Fuck.

_John is going to kill me._

It didn't take long for Jade to get thoroughly trashed (Dave managed all of one drink because after being so drunk the night before he was not in the mood for a repeat.) and of course she turned out to be the most feisty drunk he had ever encountered. Trying to drag her out of the bar was nothing short of impossible and boy did they get a lot of stares, snickers and looks of disgust as they made their exit. When he finally managed to drag her outside, she was yelling and howling about something so incoherent he couldn't even understand her. He figured she was trying to start a fight with the building as she had tried to start a fight with nearly everyone in the bar itself. Much to his dismay, John found them. Rose was with him but this did not guarantee he would live to see another day.

"Dave, hey! We were looking for-uhh… Jade? Are you okay?"

"I am so okay, John. I am so fucking ready to take you on," Jade replied instantly, trying to shove Dave away while he was holding her upright. "C'mon, lessh go! C'mon!"

John stared. Rose coughed into her hand. "Ah. She's quite drunk, isn't she. I see you showed her a good time, Dave."

"What?"

"No, fuck. Rose, shut your trap. John, listen, it's-"

"He got me soooooo drunk!" Jade cackled.

"Indeed. I suppose for the reason any young male gets a female drunk, yes?"

"Dave, you asshole! I help set you up with Jade and you do this?"

"Rose, shut the fuck iup/i! Listen to me, that's not-"

"That is sooooo the reason. You can't lie to meeeee." Jade fell on him and Dave nearly fell over with her, not expecting the sudden weight. He growled irritably and suddenly picked her up bridal style. She squeaked and started giggling like crazy.

Great, yes. Jade could be his shield against John and also she wouldn't fall over. Two birds with one stone. He backed away quickly. "She got drunk on her own, stop glaring at me like that, Egbert. I swear on my fucking life."

John didn't look convinced but Rose placed a hand on his shoulder. This seemed to snap John back and he blinked. "Oh. Oh, shit! That's right! We came to find you guys. Elliot was looking for Jade. I thought he'd gone home, but I guess not..."

Forget John killing him. Elliot would probably do it. Then again, Dave would love to go toe to toe with him. He'd kick his ass and enjoy it. Yeah, she isn't your girlfriend anymore, loser. What are you gonna-

"Take her back to the cabin. We will deal with him," Rose said, interrupting his thoughts. She smirked. "Try not to do anything indecent to her."

Dave shot Rose a look that could kill. "Yeah, and don't lose your virginity on your first date with Egbert."

Dave was satisfied when they both turned very red, more so that Rose turned the reddest, and Dave hightailed it out of there with a giggling Jade still in his arms. Finally getting away from the crowd and heading down the dimly lit path toward the cabin, Dave's brain finally caught up to the fact that he was holding Jade in his arms and that it was really, really nice. She had finally stopped squirming and giggling. In fact, she seemed to have calmed down quit a bit and the walk back was very quiet. Her head fell against his chest and she wrapped her arms around his neck, completely still in his arms aside from clinging to him. Dave didn't dare look down at her face. He assumed she had fallen asleep as they reached the cabin and he somehow managed to get the door open.

"You're never allowed to have another drink for the rest of your life," he grumbled as he carried her at last into her room.

Jade giggled. So much for being asleep. He sighed and moved to lay her on her bed. Instead she twisted and rolled out of his arms instead, rolling across the bed. For a brief instant he thought she'd roll off but instead she sat up. She swayed a little, disorientated, and stared at him. He was standing right at the edge of her bed, knees pressed against the side, and stared right back. She shifted closer, knelt right in front of him. Something about this made his heart beat really fast all of a sudden.

"Dave… I'm sorry…"

Jade pushed herself up on her knees and suddenly they were nose to nose. She looked really sad, almost heartbreakingly so. He felt her breath against his lips and they parted instinctively, just slightly. He was struggling to maintain his poker face. He was struggling so very hard.

"Why?" he asked quietly.

She pressed her forehead to his, shifted just a hair closer. Just a hair yet suddenly he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her against him. Suddenly he couldn't let her go even if she had asked him to.

"I'm not suppose to love you."

Her voice was so soft he barely heard it. When she spoke it their lips brushed together and something inside him broke. He'd been trying so hard but this was too much. He'd wanted that sensation for so long. He didn't hesitate for a second, tilting his head and kissing her with almost bruising force. His fingers dug into her back and he held her so tightly he'd thought he'd break her. Then he realized what a stupid notion that was. He knew Jade wasn't that weak. He always knew even if as a kid he'd tried to make it out that she needed his protection. But lately it had seemed like the other way around. She was the one strong enough to be without him. He wasn't strong enough to be without her. Yet he never imagined he'd get to kiss her and suddenly he was and she was kissing him right back. Her fingers brushed against his face and his hair and she tasted like all the alcohol she had drank but fuck, he could care less. She tasted like he always thought she would.

This was not a kiss made in drunken confusion. This was the kind of kiss you gave to someone you loved and it took his breath away. It was the kind of kiss he had never actually experience before. Also the kind that was usual prelude to something way dirtier. Dave kissed her harder and her lips parted, inviting him and he took it to deepen the kiss further. He leaned forward, putting so much into this contact that it was making him dizzy. Jade made the softest sound in her throat and he felt like he could die happy right here just hearing that sound. He felt like he'd give anything to hear more of those sounds. Her hand grabbed at his hair and pulled him forward. He lost his balance but caught himself with his hand. Their lips were still moving against each other's though even when she dragged him down with her and sprawled out on her back. When they parted for breath they were both gasping. Dave stared at her, long black hair wild and face flushed from the alcohol and the heavy kiss. Her eyes were glassy.

Right. She was really drunk right now.

Dave closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He dropped his forehead against her's. Okay, this couldn't go any further. Also what she had said bothered him.

"Go to sleep, Jade," he breathed. "Just… it's late now, so-"

Jade yanked him back to her and suddenly they were kissing again, like before but way more insistent. Fuck, she was really fraying the last threads holding his libido in check. But he couldn't not kiss her back; couldn't deny how amazing it was to kiss her and be kissed by her. Jade wrapped her arms around his neck to hold him there, refusing to even let him breath for very long before she forced their mouths together again. This was wonderful but it was wrong. Dave didn't want it to be like this, not when she was drunk off her ass and mumbling nonsense. He didn't want to fuck this up. He finally had a chance here now that Elliot was out of the picture.

He withdrew, forced her arms off him and panted softly for breath. He could kiss her forever, he really could. "_Jade_," he breathed and he meant it to be scolding but instead it came out as kind of a pathetic whine.

She was crying. He noticed the tears suddenly on her face that definitely hadn't been there before and that snapped him right out of the daze their kissing have put him in. "I can't," she choked.

"Shit, Jade. Stop, it's fine. I'm not going to do anything you don't want. Just…" She was clutching very hard to his shirt, forcing him to stay put. He wasn't sure what she wanted right now. "Go to sleep."

"No. I can't love you," she whispered.

Then suddenly the moment was over and it felt like someone had stabbed him in the gut. Dave jerked back, forcing her to let him go. He sat up, still hovering over her for half a second to stare at her. Then he was back on his feet, hastily moving her to her pillows and tucking the covers around her. Jade whined and continued to try and grab a hold of him, but he brushed her hand away each time. It seemed to make her cry harder but Dave could take a hint. Drunk or not, she was pretty much expressing the truth, right? Of course she was. He had lost his chance a long time ago. He was such a fucking idiot to think she would still carry a torch for him after he basically deflected all of her earlier hints before. So she had moved on as she should have because who spends their life waiting and pining for someone who clearly wasn't interested? Not Jade. Her attitude and free spirited nature would never allow that.

That was the cruelest irony of all, then. Dave had always been interested but he had also always been a coward. He thought maybe Jade would wait, though. Maybe she would wait for him to man up. Then she had gotten a boyfriend. No big deal, right? She might still want him. … Right?

Talk about being a self-centered dick. The fact that she had a boyfriend should have been the first hint. Even though she broke up with him didn't mean shit for him. What a fucking idiot he was. Now she was drunk and confused, kissing him because she had no idea what she was doing and he had enjoyed it like a sick bastard. Why had he thought for even a second this meant anything at all?

Jade latched onto the front of his shirt again. "They're going to make me be all alone, Dave," Jade sobbed. She was completely breaking down and Dave bit his lip. "I have to be all alone again, like before. I can't be all alone again. I can't, I can't…"

Dave gently detached her hand from his shirt. "Jade, you're babbling incoherent junk that would make monkeys at a keyboard look like Shakespeare. Just sleep, all right?"

"Not alone. Please, not alone."

Dave hesitated. Then he slowly sank to his knees and sat on the floor by her bed. "Okay, I'll sit right here. I won't move my pretty ass from this spot. Okay?"

Jade smiled through her tears and then just like that her eyes closed and she fell asleep. Or she had passed out. Dave wasn't sure which. He turned around and leaned his back against the bed, staring at the floor. He didn't sleep for the rest of the night. When dawn broke the next morning he cast a glance at her sleeping, tear stained face.

Then he left the room and did not look back.

Rose found him outside on the porch swing staring blankly at the sunrise. She paused in the doorway and leaned against the frame. She was still in her pajamas.

"They're deporting her."

Dave glanced up. Rose didn't look at him, eyes glued on the lightening sky. "Our guardians drafted paperwork to make sure we existed in the eyes of the government. Fabricated as they may be, they're perfect fakes. Birth certificates, social security cards, medical records… they exist for us. They don't exist for Jade. If they do, they've been lost. We've pulled a lot of strings to get her to stay as long as we have. It also helps, I suppose, that some things are different here on the new Earth we restored. However we've unfortunately run out of strings to pull."

Dave looked away and Rose continued, "I… apologize. John and I knew but did not feel it was our place to tell you. Jade refused to do so. I spoke with Elliot after you carried Jade off. Apparently he had offered to marry Jade when they were both eighteen in order to attempt to keep her here. They had been talking about it on and off. During our stay here he received a notice of the date she would be forced to leave. Noting it was a lot sooner than they thought it would be, he began to pressure her to accept the proposal. Yet in the end she refused and broke up with him. Don't you find that curious? She wants nothing more than to stay with us yet…"

Dave leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. So that was it, then. That had been the big secret all along. The reason Jade seemed so sad and forlorn, the reason for her weird behavior during the trip… it had been because of that. Why had she not bothered to tell him? Why did he have to find out like this? A lot of things made some sense though, now that he realized the truth. Most importantly, what she had said last night. Except he wasn't sure whether or not she really didn't love him because of him or if she actually did but refused to because she was leaving them. She had kissed him, after all, but she had also been drunk off her ass.

"It doesn't matter," he said suddenly. Rose glanced up as Dave stood, hands in his pockets. He left the swing and the porch, trotting down the two steps to the ground. "I don't care anymore."

That wasn't true at all.

"Dave…" Rose started but he began to walk down the path and she trailed off. She thought to call out to him again but she did not.

The next day the vacation ended and the four of them left the town


	6. a beginning

Jade chose to leave before the actual date of her deportation. She decided she would rather leave on her own accord and terms rather than wait for officials from the government to force her. Or however that worked. She didn't really know. Two days after they had returned from their trip, Jade had gathered only a few things and made arrangements to return to her island out in the Pacific. She said goodbye to everyone she knew… except Dave. She had looked for him but he had wandered off the moment the four of them had returned. Rose and John helped in her search but neither of them had been successful either. He hadn't gone to any of his usual places. Jade felt awful. Although that night during the festival was still really hazy, she remembered enough to know her behavior had been deplorable. She remembered kissing him and saying things she shouldn't have been saying. While drunk she had pretty much started blabbing about the truth that she hadn't even had the courage to tell him.

Rose admitted to her that she had told Dave the truth. After Dave had told her what occurred when Jade was drunk (Jade hoped he left out the making out part) Rose hadn't been able to keep it from him anymore. She had said that her hope was that Dave would realize how Jade actually felt. Obviously that hadn't happened and Jade couldn't blame him for that. It was so complicated and she didn't know how or why it had become that way. They had been best friends. Why did they both keep secrets from each other when they never had before? For Jade's part, she hadn't ever said anything about liking Dave. She'd had a crush on him for as long as she could remember but never brought it up. For some reason she thought it would be a burden to him. More than that, though, was her fear nothing would be the same. What she and Dave had was something she cherished. Admitting any deeper feelings might have changed that.

So she'd kept quiet while dropping all the hints she could to him. Maybe if he gave her a sign that the feelings were mutual, she could say something. But he hadn't or, if he had, she hadn't caught it. In hindsight it had been so stupid and Jade kicked herself constantly for it now. She had just been sitting there waiting for someone else to make the move when she should have just done it herself. Her fear of what might happen had kept her back. It reminded Jade a lot of her time on the island as a child. She had spent her days yearning to be rescued, to be swept off the island and into loving arms. She'd been all alone for a long time. Eventually, as Jade grew older, she knew that wouldn't happen. No one would rescue her but herself and so she would. Why hadn't she retained that attitude in this situation?

Jade rubbed her temples and curled up a little on the seat of the plane. Now here she sat, returning to that lonely life. She wouldn't even have Bec this time. When Elliot had confessed that he liked her, Jade had accepted without really thinking. She felt guilty about that too. It wasn't that she didn't like Elliot or that he didn't make her happy. It was just that he wasn't Dave. It made her feel like a fool. She was suppose to move on from him but she couldn't, not really. So all her mistakes had cost her and that was why she was sitting on this plane alone, taking off in just under twenty minutes to return to a life where her only form of human contact was a computer screen. It wasn't the same and it never would be now that she knew what it was like to be in the company of others for real.

The plane wasn't very full. In fact, it was pretty empty. She glanced over as two people moved past her seat and took the ones behind her. She sat alone in her row, head against the window as she watched workers below beginning to clear the area so the plane could taxi out. From here she would make two more connecting flights before a boat would take her to her final destination. Jade's hands tightened into fists in her lap. She would do anything to stay.

"Hey."

Jade jumped. She stood up so fast she nearly slammed her head into the low ceiling above her. She stared wide eyed at Dave standing in the aisle, hands in his pockets and shades on his face. It was actually a little comforting to see him being his cool kid self. She remembered at the festival before they'd gone to the bar that he had seemed a little off.

"Dave?" Jade whispered, almost wondering if he was an illusion. She shuffled out of the row and grabbed his arm. He was real all right. "You… What are you doing here? The plane is going to leave the gate any minute."

Dave pulled something out from behind him and held it to her. It was a book at first glance but then she realized it was a photo album. "You forgot this. I went through all the trouble to make it for you like you asked, you know. Be grateful, I had to battle crazy sisters to keep this shit safe and sound."

Jade stared. She had completely forgotten about that. She had asked Dave to put his photos of their trip together for her so she could always remember the last time she had spent with them all. She took it gingerly from his hand as if she was afraid it might break.

"You… remembered that?" she asked incredulously.

Dave shrugged and titled his head slightly away. She imagined his gaze had shifted off her underneath his shades. "Yeah, of course. 'Cause it was for you."

She hugged it to her chest and smiled, tears stinging her eyes. It wasn't from the gift, though. It was that she did actually get to see Dave after all. She dropped the book on the seat and threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. She buried her face into his neck and tried not to cry. The tears fell anyway.

"You asshole," she sobbed. "To just disappear today of all days and… You're such a fucking jerk!"

Dave drew his arms around her. "Yeah, I know. I… fuck. I'm sorry. I don't really have an excuse but just believe when I say I'm sorry, all right? Stop crying, jesus."

Jade shook her head and slammed her fist against his chest angrily. He winced because Jade didn't throw her punches when she was upset or angry. Truthfully, Jade felt all of the above and then some. She was also very happy. This way she could leave without regrets. Well, mostly.

"Don't be sorry, you're still an asshole," Jade replied but she laughed bitterly. "I'm sorry, too. I'm more sorry because I never told you about this until it was too late and I never told you anything in general. I was just scared and I… I don't know, but I'm sorry for everything."

There was a long pause as Dave just held her and she let him do it, clinging to the front of his shirt and hating that this moment had to end. Then she pushed back and blinked up at his face, tears still running down her cheeks. She smiled. "Thanks… for coming here and giving this to me. I'm glad I got to see you before I left."

Dave reached up and touched her face lightly, rubbing the tears gently from her face with his thumb. He knocked her glasses askew while doing so. "Yeah, well… don't mention it. Look, Harley… uh…"

He looked really embarrassed, head lifting just slightly. It seemed like he might be looking at something behind her before his gaze shifted back to her quickly. His cheeks were a little red and Jade couldn't suppress a giggle. She nuzzled his hand fondly, gripping it with her own and slowly lowering it off her face. Nothing really needed to be said, did it? At this point she understood and she realized he did too. What she had meant when she had been drunk and what Dave had been trying to say, it was all clear now between them.

"You have to go, Dave. The plane is going to take off. I don't even know how you got on here without a ticket."

"I didn't."

Jade blinked, adjusting her glasses with her free hand. "Huh?"

"This plane is empty as fuck, so I guess I can sit anywhere. If they raise a fuss I'll just be unmovable like the chilliest stone."

"Dave…" Jade started, confused.

"Dude, you are so lame. You didn't even kiss her."

"I agree. What a poor display of romantic affection."

Jade whirled around. The two people who had sat behind her were wearing the most ridiculous disguises she had ever seen but she would recognize their voices anywhere.

"Fuck you both, how can I do anything like that with your beady little eyes peeking at us like pervs? This isn't a fucking peep show," Dave grumbled.

"John? Rose?" Jade stammered, gawking. "What is going on? What are you guys doing here?"

John removed the beagle puss from his face and grinned. "Hi, Jade! We're here to go back with you."

Jade stared because that was all she could do in the face of that particular bomb. Rose also removed her disguise though Jade noticed she kept the ridiculous mustache. It looked like it had been drawn on her face, actually.

"He's speaking the truth. As it turns out, the lawyers decided my mother's money was not fit to be given to me and gave it to the state instead. While I suppose we could live without it and make our own way as so many do, none of us wished to do so without you. So with what we collectively had left, we decided to accompany you home. We only had enough for a one way trip, however."

"Yeah, but it's fine like that," John chimed in, draping his arms over the seat and grinning at her. "I mean, there's nothing really left for us here if we can't all be together."

Jade shook her head slowly in disbelief. "You… You're all crazy! You guys can't just-!" She glanced between the three of them. This was absolutely insane. iThey/i were insane. "What about school? And your jobs? You have other friends here, too! This might not be forever, but it might also be a really long time. PLus, living on this island isn't anything like what you're all used to. It's dangerous and you have to forge for yourself and–"

"You know," Rose interrupted, "and if Sburb has taught us anything, it is that we are more than capable of adapting to survive. I'm certain in time you'll teach us everything we need to know."

"Besides, it's not like we're completely cut off from the world," John laughed. "We've got the internet and I bet we can figure out how to get TV there. Mail still gets delivered there, too. I know for a fact it does, hehehe."

"You're there," Dave said quietly. Jade turned to face him, teary eyes still wide. She couldn't believe this was happening. His face was red but just barely. "That's all I really need to know to the make this decision."

John snickered and Rose just smirked knowingly. Jade buried her face in her hands and half laughed, half sobbed. This was crazy. This was so crazy. This was beyond crazy.

"Please, take your seats," a flight attendant told them as she was coming up the aisle. Jade shuffled back to sit and Dave took the sit next to her.

"Nice mustache, by the way," Dave quipped at Rose.

"Thank you. John insisted."

"Hehehe. She looks like some hard-boiled detective or something, doesn't she?"

"I prefer to see myself as a female Sigmund Freud."

"Bluh! That's boring, Rose…"

Dave glanced at Jade as she rubbed the tears from her eyes. They just kept flowing and she just couldn't stop smiling. They were out of their minds.

"Dave… You hate planes," Jade laughed and then sniffled.

"Yeah." Dave took her hand and intertwined their fingers, squeezing it lightly.

Jade lowered her other from her face and smiled, squeezing it back. "Don't worry. I'll hold your hand the whole time."

Dave smiled. "I know."

* * *

><p>There will probably be a sequel sometime in the near future, but for now it's done! Thanks everyone for the feedback and for reading. :<p> 


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